


Darkiplier and BlankGamePlays; Just a Front?

by SaiphTheSwordmaster



Series: Ethan Multiverse Rescue [1]
Category: markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Amyplier is God, Blank is a Nervous Wreck, Brotherly Love, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, Slow To Update, Suicide, True Love, everyone loves amy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaiphTheSwordmaster/pseuds/SaiphTheSwordmaster
Summary: Darkiplier lives alone in an alternate dimension. His log cabin is stuck in an eternal winter, the snowflakes are his only friends. At least, this is true until a certain anxiety riddled kid ends up on his doorstep. God only knows how he got into his dimension, but he presents Dark with an incredible opportunity. If Dark now has a version of Ethan Nestor, that means that the other Marks (The Egos) do too. This might finally be the thing he needs to give him a leg up. If he kidnaps all of the Ethans in the multiverse, the Marks will come to rescue them. Darkiplier can finally become the one and only Mark, gaining power beyond his wildest dreams. All he has to do is use this kid's power. After that, well, he has no use for a child. I mean, it's not like he's going to get attached to him, right? Right?!
Relationships: Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson
Series: Ethan Multiverse Rescue [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065911
Comments: 28
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

_ Knock! _

_ Knock! _

_ Knock! _

Darkiplier looked up from his book, his eyes zeroing in on the front door of his isolated cabin. His eyes narrowed. Who the hell could possibly be out here? Not only was he in a cabin in the middle of the woods, but the cabin also happened to be in a different dimension. There was no way he imagined the knocking on the door either. Whoever was out there, it sure as hell wasn’t a pizza delivery guy.

He slowly rose from his chair, red and blue glitching erratically as he tried to think of the best course of action. His instincts told him to appear outside and take care of whoever it was, but he held back. On the off chance the person knocking on his door was harmless he didn’t want to accidentally kill them.

Despite being a Dark being, he wasn’t a monster. He didn’t enjoy killing innocent people, but when it became necessary for the sake of revenge or convenience he was never one to argue.

He strode over to the door and sharply demanded, “Who’s there?”

There was no answer. His frown deepened when he realized he’d have to open it to figure out who was outside. He wasn’t scared of whoever it was, but he  _ was  _ annoyed that they interrupted him in the middle of his book, and just when he was getting to the good part too.

He opened the door, prepared to either kill or scare the hell out of whoever was on the other side.

…

What.

The.

Fuck?

What Dark saw on the doorstep froze him in place. He wasn’t sure he was even processing the sight correctly, because surely there couldn’t have been a fucking  _ child  _ on his doorstep.

Said child was shivering violently, his lips blue and his eyes strangely dark. A sense of sympathy flooded over him, the glitching colors of his ego going a soft blue, “Are you alright?”

He looked terrified out of his wits and ready to collapse, “P-P-Please- Help… me…”

Dark’s uncharacteristic sympathy grew in strength as he scooped up the freezing child, “Don’t fret, little one. I won’t hurt you,” He whispered, watching as the boy passed out in his arms.

He didn’t know who the kid was or what he was doing on his doorstep, but he felt a strange pull in his being. Whoever he was, or perhaps whoever he used to be, had great sympathy for children.

He summoned a few blankets to wrap him up and magically changed his clothes into something warmer. Dark didn’t know much about how kids worked, but he did know that they weren’t supposed to be cold. 

Knowing that, he decided to lay him on the couch closest to the fireplace before thinking about what he was supposed to do with him. He didn’t have any information on the kid or why he showed up at his doorstep, but one thing’s for certain.

He wasn’t a normal kid.

This dimension was designed so only he and a few select people could enter it. Whoever the boy was, he shouldn’t have been able to get in here.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed beyond his pale complexion and blue-tinged lips, he had some kind of black tear-like fluid coming from his eyes. Kids weren’t supposed to cry ink, well, at least that’s what he assumed.

Whoever he was, Dark highly doubted he was fully human. Well, whatever the case, he wasn’t going to get any answers out of his unconscious form. He sighed and sat down on his chair, resuming his book, though the chapter seemed to have lost its appeal as he thought of the adventure that he was doomed to go on.

After a few hours of distracted reading and pacing, the kid finally woke up, “Huh? Wh-Where?”

He was too groggy to be scared, but Dark had a sinking suspicion that was about to change, “I see you’re awake,” He said, expression softening slightly at his terrified whimper, “You’re safe. Don't worry,”

The kid looked very worried, “Wh-Wh-Who are you?”

Dark didn’t know how to answer that. Should he introduce himself as Darkiplier or his former name, Damien? It probably wasn’t a good idea to reveal himself as a demon to a child, but then again, he clearly wasn’t a normal one. What to do, what to do...

Now that he was awake, Dark noticed his eyes. They were pure black, and he had to wonder if he could even see at all.

With a slight jolt out of his thoughts, he remembered that the kid was still waiting on an answer, “You can call me Dark. What is your name?”

The kid tilted his head, “Dark? That’s a weird name,”

A stab of annoyance made his brows furrow, “Is that so? What’s yours?”

“I- Uh- Blank. My name is Blank. Do you know where we are?” 

Blank, huh. And he had the nerve to call  _ his  _ name weird. No matter, there were more pressing matters, “You don’t know- What do you remember?”

He frowned, “Uhhhhhh. I-I remember… I reme-member- My… My name? And- No, wait, th-that’s all I can remember,” He blanched at the displeased expression on Dark’s face, “S-Sorry,”

Dark waved him off, “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault if you don’t remember. I just need to learn where you came from so I can get you back,”

Blank deflated a bit, “Oh. Y-Yeah, that makes sense,”

He was surprised at his disappointment. Why did he sound like he didn’t want to-

“I- I mean, who would want a s-s-stupid kid like me staying in their- their place anyways,”

His eyes widened when he realized that the kid thought he was just going to throw him out. God, he was terrible with kids, “I’m not going to throw you out into the snow, Blank. I may be a demon, but I’m not heartless. You can stay until you remember where your home is,”

He looked surprised before a small smile crossed his face, “Oh. Thank you, Mr. Dark,”

“Dark, please,”

He did a salute, “Yes, sir, Mr. Dark!”

Oh boy. What did he manage to get himself into this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I know I've been slow with my other fics, if you read them, and for that I apologize. I've been pretty busy with school and life for the past few months. I'll try to update more often, but I can't guarentee it. Any patience you have with this story will be greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Blank stared at his new friend, trying to figure out why he was here and what was happening. The last thing he remembered was waking up here. Even though Mr. Dark told him that he passed out on his doorstep, he couldn’t remember a thing. It was kind of creepy, thinking about it.

He took a proper look around the cabin, trying to get his bearings. What the hell was happening to him? He wasn’t sure how to react. Maybe cry? Crying sounded good. 

Without thinking about where he was or why he probably shouldn’t be crying right now, he started to cry. Black tears poured down his face, staining his cheeks a navy blue.

Dark’s expression darkened as noticed the kid’s tears. There was nothing he hated more than crying children.

Blank was too distracted by his overwhelming emotions to focus on anything else. He sobbed and hiccuped unabashedly, the shame of crying in front of his new friend overshadowed by the overwhelming joy and anxiety of having a  _ friend _ .

“Why are you crying?” Dark’s cold, calculating voice cut through his emotional whirlwind. It might have seemed somewhat insensitive to be so cut and dry with someone in such an emotional state, but Blank was grateful. The detachedness of his voice helped ground his anxiety.

“Sor-orry,” He sniffed, wiping away the quickly slowing tears, “I-It won’t happen again, Mr. Dark,”

“Good. I detest crybabies,”  
“Yes s-sir,”

Mr. Dark stood up, offering him a hand, “If you’re going to stay, I need to find a place for you to sleep,”

He took his hand and got to his feet, pleasantly surprised that he could stand. He tried to pull his hand away, but Blank held fast. He liked the feeling of being close to someone who wasn’t trying to kill him. It was comforting, in a way, even if his hand was as cold as a statue.

Dark decided not to object and began leading Blank to his spare room. He was a little nervous as to what it would look like. Sure, the living room of the cabin seemed normal, but you never know. The bedrooms could be chaos voids.

They walked down a normal looking hallway, so far so good, and Mr. Dark showed him a normal looking door, “This is my guest room. Make yourself at home, but please, don’t make a mess,”

He nodded and apprehensively opened the door. To his relief and surprise, the room looked perfectly normal. While small, it contained a bookshelf, cozy window seat, and a soft looking bed. He felt a warm feeling in his chest and tears filled his eyes.

Mr. Dark immediately noticed, “Hey. What did I say about crybabies?”

Blank quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, “S-Sorry. It’s just- A really nice room, that’s all,”  
He was confused, “You’re crying over a spare bedroom? You must be more tired than I thought. Go on, get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning,”

He made to leave, but Blank quickly caught his hand, “W-Wait!”

“What is it?”

“I- I, uh- I’m kinda-” His stomach told Dark what his stuttering mouth couldn’t. It howled with a vengeance, and he realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten something.

He practically face palmed, “Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I apologize, Blank. You must be famished,”

“Yeah. I-If it’s not too much trouble, s-something to eat would be nice,”  
“It’s no trouble. Have a seat, I was meaning to speak to you about something anyways,”  
He obeyed, sitting on the edge of his bed, “What do you want to tell me?”

Mr. Dark stared him down, his expression growing more severe by the second, “If you’re going to live here, there are a few rules that you must follow. Do you understand?”

He nodded, “Y-Yes sir,”

“Good. I’ll get you some food first. Peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese?”

Blank didn’t know why, but peanut butter seemed like a bad idea, “Ham and cheese, please,”

His eyes widened, “Good choice. I just analyzed your molecular structure, you’re allergic to peanuts,”

“Oh. Good thing I didn’t eat it then,” He said, “I didn’t remember anything new, but something told me eating peanut products was a bad idea,”

“Well, that’s good. Any small memory you can retain is progress against your amnesia. Here you go, eat up,”

Mr. Dark handed a plate, which he eagerly took, but froze when he saw its contents. The food looked good, but… Why did it look like a meal for a child? The crusts were cut off of the sandwich and the vegetables were also cut into small pieces. He frowned at him, “Uh… Mister- Mr. Dark?”

“Is something wrong?”

“How- How old do you think I am?”

He frowned as if he genuinely couldn’t tell, “Maybe one, two? I don’t know. Children allude me,”

Blank was offended. Sure, he acted a little young for his age, but he wasn’t a toddler!  
“H-Hey! I’m sixteen!” He snapped, “I’m not even a child by some country’s standards,”

Mr. Dark looked amused, “You remember that, but not where you actually came from. And I don’t know much about children, but I do know that sixteen is still a child,”

He crossed his arms and grumbled, “Hrmph!”

“Definitely still a child. Do you want to eat or keep acting like a four year old?” 

Despite his annoyance, Blank was super hungry. He shook his head wildly and began inhaling the meal served to him.

Mr. Dark chuckled at his hunger, “Slow down, or you’ll make yourself sick,”  
Blank slowed slightly, deciding to chew before he swallowed the meal given to him. He would’ve said something in acknowledgement, but it was bad manners to talk with your mouth full. 

“Now. Can you eat and listen at the same time?”

He nodded, swallowing the food in his mouth before saying, “Y-Yeah,”

“Good. There are some rules that come with staying here. You are free to do whatever you want as long as you follow them to the letter. Do you understand?” Blank nodded again, and he continued, “Very good. The first and most important rule is that you cannot leave the premises under  _ any _ circumstances. This house is my territory and thus under my protection, but I can’t say the same about the forest around it. There are many beings here who would like nothing more than to tear you apart limb by limb and feed on your soul. You’re extremely fortunate that you knocked on my door. My neighbor, for example, is not nearly as kind as I am,”

Blank swallowed compulsively, nearly choking on his mouthful of bread, “Wh-Who’s your neighbor?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“I-I-I’m just curious. Th-That’s all,” He stammered.

“His name is Antisepticeye. He’s an old enemy of mine that I would very much like to avoid dealing with. He’d have your head on a silver platter if he knew you existed,”

“W-Well, that’s just fan-tastic,” He said, sarcasm dripping through the stutters.

Mr. Dark seemed amused, “Yes, I would also like to avoid that outcome. So just stay in here and don’t cause trouble. When your mind is strong enough for me to probe your memory, I’ll find out where you came from and open a portal from within here. There will be no need for you to leave, and if you do, no one is going to save you,”

Blank nodded, “Y-Yes sir,”

“Good. My only other rule is just as important. Never, under any circumstances, go into the basement. I’m serious. Do not look, touch, or even think about the basement. I promise you will regret it if you do. Do you understand?”

He exhaled shakily, “O-Of course, Mr. D-Dark,”

“Excellent. Are you finished with that?”

The plate he was holding was long emptied, so he nodded, “Th-Thank you, sir,”

Mr. Dark snapped his fingers and the plate disappeared, “You’re welcome. Now, get some rest. I cannot learn where you came from until your mind is back to its full capacity,”

Blank nodded and laid back, surprised at how comfortable his bed was. Mr. Dark appeared to be leaving as pulled the blanket over his chest. He let himself smile a bit as he felt the safety of his blankets ground him in the moment.

“One more thing…”

He jumped, thinking that Mr. Dark had already left the room, “Wh-What is it?”

“If you ever even  _ think _ about trying something funny, I won’t hesitate to kill you. Do you understand, my young friend? If the thought of killing me ever crosses your mind…”

Blank was shaking, the look on Mr. Dark’s face was murder, no question about it. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill if prompted. And that readiness, the cold violence in his eyes, chilled him to his very core.

“ **You will be dead where you stand,** ”

Before he could even hope to reply, the air of death receded, and a warm smile replaced his harsh glare, “Alright? Alright. Goodnight, kiddo,”

Blank continued to tremble as the door to his room swung shut, Mr. Dark disappearing with the rest of the light. The room was only illuminated from the moon outside as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. 

But as alone and afraid he now was, exhaustion overtook him and soon, he was plunged into the darkness of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy this chapter! If requested, I'll make a side fic of Blank and Dark celebrating Christmas. Leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter/want me to write that one-shot.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Suicide, Bullying  
> Please reach out if you need help!

As soon as Dark left the room, he couldn’t help but start laughing. The look on Blank’s face when he threatened him was priceless. He meant every word of the threat but had a feeling it would never come into play. Blank wasn’t going to defy his will, and he wasn’t about to kill him.

He forced a smile off of his face when he thought of what the kid insisted on calling him,  _ Mr. Dark.  _ He couldn’t allow himself to get attached, not to Blank, not to Lunky, not even to Chica. 

His beloved war hound was out on a mission, and Lunky the Lackey was researching one of the alternate universe (AU as he shortened it) Marks. He couldn’t remember which one he’d been assigned to, but he didn’t much care.

Dark was enjoying the time he had to himself. It gave him solitude to think and plan for his eventual capture of all the other Marks in the multiverse. Once he found a way to kill them without being harmed, he would gain power beyond his wildest dreams.

But for now, Dark was tired. He decided to go read on the couch some more, the book he’d been reading was quite good, and give his mind a rest. Besides, he didn’t want to be so caught up in research that he wouldn’t hear if the kid tried anything.

Summoning a cup of tea, he sat down on the couch and resumed his book. He never told Blank about the books in this house. Though he figured the rules would be obvious, read what you want, don’t lose any bookmarks, and  _ don’t  _ dog-ear any pages. 

Thinking about it, there were a lot of rules he’d forgotten to mention for the sake of time and Blank’s need for sleep. He decided he would write a list later.

Dark stuck his nose back into his book and laid down on the couch. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he found himself stuck once again in the black void of his dreams.

He looked around warily. The quality of his dreams in this state could span from wonderful dreams to horrifying nightmares. Either way, he wouldn't let his guard down. A small part of him laughed at how he had to keep up a front even in his dreams. 

Momentarily distracted, he jumped a mile when he felt a tap on his shoulder, “What the-”

“It’s nice to see you again, Damien,”

Relief filled him at the familiar voice and he turned around to face her, “Celine,” He breathed, “What- What are you doing here?”

In truth, he was delighted to see her again. It had been a while since he had a conversation with his sister. She occasionally came up from the void to give him advice or motivation to attain power. Even though she didn’t come up often, he loved it when she did.

She smiled her trademarked Celine smile, “Come here, you big cry baby,”

He blinked back a couple of tears and fell into his sister’s waiting arms. He didn’t know why, but he always felt much more vulnerable in his dreams. Maybe it was the fact that being separated from Celine heightened his emotions, or maybe it was just the fact that he trusted her so much. Either way, it felt nice to hug her again.

“I think you got taller, Dames,”

“You got shorter,” He returned, smirking.

Celine shoved him back, “Hey! I was taller than you for our entire childhood. Don’t forget, short-stack!”

“Oh, please. You only had me by a centimeter, maybe two,” 

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, “Whatever. I’m not going to argue with you. I see you have a kid now?”

Damien flushed, “I don’t  _ have  _ a kid. He just showed up on my doorstep. As soon as I find out where he came from, he’s gone. I promise,”

“Good. I don’t want that kid to distract you from the plan. I’ve been doing some snooping around, and I don’t like his aura. Something about it gives me the creeps,”  
He frowned, “Aura? I didn’t sense anything of the like,”

She nodded, “I figured. It’s pretty faint, so I wouldn’t be surprised if only a non-corporeal being could see it. Still, I’d get rid of him before it gets any stronger,”  
“Noted. Do you want an update on the plan?”

“Please. Have you made any progress?”

Damien’s eyes lit up, “Yes! I’ve made a recent discovery that to sever the soul connection between myself and the other Marks, I have to do something that completely defies their nature,”  
Celine was interested, “That makes sense. But what would be against all of their natures? Including _him,_ ”

He winced at the venom in her voice. She and William were not on good terms. Though she disliked all of the Marks, Wil was among the ones that she would carve out their hearts upon seeing them again.

He decided it would be safer not to comment, “If I can find someone who’s universally close to Mark and kill them, it should be enough to sever the soul bond. I could even kill two birds with one stone and kill the Marks when they come to rescue them,”

Celine grinned, “I think you’ve got it! The only problem is who would fit that description? I can’t think of anyone who’s close to every single Mark. I mean, you could try Amy-”

“No,”

He couldn’t pretend like he hadn’t thought of it before, but it was quickly vetoed. You see, he also had an Amy once, but she- He didn’t like to get into it.

Celine realized what was going on, “Oh, I’m sorry, Dames. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s alright. You didn’t mean anything by it,” He said, forcing a smile, “I’m sure there’s someone other than Amy that we can use,”

She nodded, “Yeah. What about Chica?”

He shook his head, “Chica isn’t a constant throughout the multiverse. Yancy doesn’t have a pet, and Wil’s died a long time ago,”

“Hmm. That is tricky. I’m sure you’ll get it, though,”

Damien’s face was set in a determined stare, “Of course I will. I’ll get enough power to get you your own form, and we can be a family again,”  
Celine started to smile, but it quickly disappeared, “We’re out of time. Remember, be cautious of that kid. And get more sleep! Your eye bags show up in your dreams,”

He laughed, “I will. I love you, sister,”

“Love you too, Dames,” 

Before she disappeared again, he wrapped his arms around her, _ I swear I’ll get you out of here, Celine.  _

Crash!  
Dark startled awake to a loud bang, falling off the couch, “What the hell?!” He yelped, scrambling to his feet.

Talk about a rude awakening! There was no time to dwell on the pain in his side, because that crash came from the kid’s room.

He had no idea what Blank did, but either way he did  _ not  _ want a dead body on his hands,  _ Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, don’t be dead, don’t be dead, don’t be dead!  _ He prayed as he ran to his spare room.

An unknown sensation of fear filled him as he threw the door open. He didn’t know why he felt so scared, maybe it was the aura Celine warned him about, but either way he wanted it gone.

“Blank-” He stopped abruptly upon seeing the condition of the room. The child was still sleeping, but bolts of energy were flying about the room.

Dark watched as the kid shook and sobbed in his sleep, lashing out with dark blasts of energy. One of them narrowly missed him as he flinched out of the way.

He didn’t have time to wonder what kind of energy it was, because he had the feeling that Blank would end up blowing up the entire cabin if he didn’t stop him soon. Since he didn’t want to deal with building a new one, he headed into the dangerous bedroom.

Dark wouldn’t normally recommend disturbing someone who lashed out in their sleep, but he decided to make an exception for Blank. After all, he really hated retailers.

He had never been more grateful for the blue and red glitching auras that deflected every burst of energy he failed to dodge. When he got closer to Blank, he surveyed his condition. He was breathing heavily and black tears poured down his face, but he was no longer convulsing. It was like he could sense Dark’s familiar aura and for some reason found it soothing.

As confusing as it was, he was relieved. Anything that prevented him from having to dodge those annoying blasts was a blessing. He had no idea what he was doing, but some primal instinct told him to touch Blank, to comfort him. Wherever the instinct was coming from, whether it be a more compassionate part of him or just a desperate attempt to get Blank not to blow up his house, he decided to follow it.

Dark laid a gentle hand on the child’s forehead, and-

Before he knew what was happening, a harsh darkness consumed him, thrusting him into Blank’s world. Without meaning to, he started probing his memory. Whoops.

Flashes of Blank’s life appeared before his eyes. Smiles, laughter, jokes, and a strong feeling of wholeness accompanied the young Blank. But as he got older, that feeling began to change. Other people came into his life, cruel people. He didn’t realize that he had been so badly harassed. The idea made his blood boil.

The flashes became longer, lengthening into visions. Dark observed Blank laying on the grass of the school playground. Two boys surrounded him, jeering at his feeble attempts to run away.

_ “Look at the little freak! He’s squirming around like a rat!” One of them laughed, kicking at his already bruised body. _

_ “This is what little fairies like you get! Don’t forget it,” The other spat. _

_ “Wh-Why? Why are you- Doing this?” The small Blank whimpered, spitting out a small amount of blood. _

Dark wanted nothing more than to step between the bullies and the kid. He didn’t know why, but a strange sense of protectiveness filled him. Maybe it was just the fact that Dark hated bullies. He’d like nothing more than to introduce their smug faces to the concrete below, but unfortunately, this was just a memory. All he could do was observe as they beat up the broken boy.

Eventually, the two got bored and ran off, leaving Blank in a humiliated pile on the floor. Dark expected him to lay there for longer, but he got up. 

He didn’t like the look on his face as he started walking. It wasn’t distraught, or afraid, or even pained. It was a hard look of determination. The boy wiped the tears from his eyes as he walked. 

Dark hoped so badly that he was going home. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wished for something this hard, but he didn’t want to see what he was afraid he was going to see.

_ Come on, kid. Go home. Go home and go to bed, please.  _ He internally pleaded, watching as Blank walked.

But he didn’t go home. Dark inhaled sharply as the kid walked onto a large bridge. He didn’t know why this was affecting him so much, but he could hardly watch as he climbed onto the rail. He wanted so badly to corporeal, to scream at him not to do it, but there was no use. 

He could only helplessly watch as Blank started to cry again, “Why? Why are you so mean to me? Why are you like this?”

Dark felt a foreign sorrow as he saw the pain in his friend’s eyes. He hadn’t felt so melancholy since Amy- Nevermind. It was better not to think about it.

He forced himself to detach as he continued his rant, “You harassed me every day! And for what?! Was it me? Did I do something wrong?” 

“WHY DO YOU HATE ME?!” He screamed, crumpling down to his knees on the rail. 

He looked down at the river below. Dark could sense his fear, but pain and anger overwhelmed it. Tears were still flowing down his face, but his expression was more cold than angry or sad.

“I’m sorry,” Weren’t the words he expected to come from his young friend’s mouth. What he was apologizing for, he didn’t know. Perhaps for his ill perceived wrongs, for leaving his family, or for not being strong enough himself. 

A sick feeling that Dark quickly placed as dread filled his stomach as Blank smiled. A small whisper, too quiet for anyone to hear, escaped his lips, “Goodbye,” And then, he was gone.

“NO!”

Dark didn’t realize he screamed aloud until he jumped forward and fell over the side himself.

Blank was gone, but he was hurtling towards the water. Uncharacteristic fear filled his veins for a split second before everything went black.

Darkiplier bolted upright, gasping and looking around wildly. He found that he was in a grassy field of some sort. 

He didn’t know why he’d gotten so worked up, but he didn’t enjoy the experience. He was probably just feeling Blank’s too late regret. Yeah, that had to be it. 

He turned around and was met with an alarming sight. It was a gravestone,  _ Ethan Nestor,  _ was the name inscribed. He frowned, was that Blank’s real name? He didn’t know why, but something about it seemed familiar.

Still, seeing his friend’s gravestone caused his stomach to twist painfully. It was stupid. After all, Blank wasn’t dead. He’d just seen him a few minutes ago. And even if he was dead, so what? He didn’t really care about him, Dark didn’t care about anyone! The emotions interfering in his brain weren’t his.

But…

That didn’t make them any less painful. 

He shook away any desire to grieve for Blank, or Ethan. Even if they weren’t his emotions, he couldn’t allow himself to weaken. It had happened only once before, but that time had been the closest to death he’d been since the creation of his body. Celine hadn’t let him hear the end of it for weeks.

Where were those blasted feelings coming from, though? Surely these couldn’t be all Blank’s memories, as Blank was dead when this memory was conceived. But then who-

“Why?”

Dark’s thoughts were cut off by a voice behind him. He spun around, and suddenly, everything made sense.

A younger version of himself, or rather a younger Mark, was staring down at ‘Ethan’s’ grave. His emotions must’ve been interfering with Dark, at least that was solved. But even that wasn’t the highest of his concerns. He suddenly remembered where he’d heard that name. Lunky must’ve mentioned it at least six times a day. Ethan, the annoying kid who noticed him despite the invisibility magic. Ethan, the one who would always hang around Mark, even when they told him to go away. Dark had always ignored him as a candidate for the constant he was looking for. After all, if he didn’t have an Ethan, then he couldn’t exist in every universe.

But if he now had an Ethan, or rather this culmination of the depression and anxiety that Ethan had felt before he died, then that meant-

“I don’t understand,” The other Mark was talking again. Dark wasn’t interested in his grieving rant, but he didn’t have a choice but to listen to the weaker version of himself, “Why didn’t you talk to me? I- I would’ve listened to you! I would’ve been there for you all day. Dammit!” 

Dark watched as he crumpled to his knees, burying his face in the dirt. This Ethan kid really meant a lot to him. Like, as much more than an annoying kid who insisted on hanging around him. As he watched himself sob over Ethan’s grave, an idea began to surface.

A slow smile stretched across his face. What do you know? Maybe he did have use for the child after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Blank didn’t expect to wake up to a destroyed bedroom and an unconscious Mr. Dark, but that is what greeted his newly awake eyes. He yelped and scrambled to his feet. Oh no! Did he kill Mr. Dark?! 

He rushed to his side, praying that he was okay,  _ Oh God, Oh God, why? You killed your friend, you killed your only friend! You idiot! You can’t do anything right, can you? God you’re such a- _

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dark!” He sobbed, “I’m so sorry, please wake up!”

To his eternal relief, Mr. Dark’s eyes snapped open. He threw his arms around his friend, “Thank God you’re okay! I’m sorry, I-”

“Get off of me!”

Blank stumbled backwards, “S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to- I thought- I-”

Mr. Dark’s expression instantly softened. He was already on his feet and offering a hand to the younger, “It’s alright. I apologize for snapping at you. You startled me,”

Blank was relieved that his friend didn’t hate him. He took his hand and got to his feet, smiling slightly, “Th-Thank you, Mr. Dark,” His smile faded when he realized what Mr. Dark must’ve seen, “You saw it, didn’t you?”

“Yes. You killed yourself, that’s why you’re stuck at such a young age,”

“Y-Yeah. I didn’t want to b-believe it at first, but yeah. Does that mean- Am I-” He swallowed involuntarily, “A-Am I dead?”

He seemed to consider it for a second before shaking his head, “Not in the technical sense, no. While your mortal form did perish, you and him aren’t the same person. That must be why you don’t share the same name,”

He flushed, “A-Actually-”

“What?”

“M-My name isn’t  _ actually  _ Blank. I-I’m sorry. I was scared- And- I s-s-said the first thing that came to- to mind,” He admitted.

“Well, if Blank was the first thing that came to mind, it can’t be entirely made up. Unless you’d prefer to be called Ethan-”

He shook his head, “N-No! It’s okay. I k-kinda like Blank,”

“Of course. You aren’t fully Ethan anyways, so calling you by his name would be incorrect,”

“Wh-What do you mean I’m not  _ fully  _ Ethan?”

“I mean that while you have many characteristics that would normally make you an Ethan, you aren’t one. You’re more of a culmination of the negative feelings that Ethan had when he died,”

He frowned, trying to take that in, “So… I- I’m just a big ball of sad, then?”

Mr. Dark chuckled at his phrasing, “Not exactly, no. If that were the case, you would be a mindless charge of energy. I believe you have a part of Ethan’s soul that allows you to exist as his sixteen year old self. Either way, you have no idea what your existence means,”

“H-Huh? What d-do you mean by that?”

A rather chilling smile appeared on Dark’s face, “Blank, don’t you see? You’re a multiversal constant,”

“What’s a m-multiversal constant?”

“A multiversal constant is something, or someone in this case, that exists in every universe. Well, I should be more specific. You don’t exist in every single universe, no one does. But you’re _my_ multiversal constant,”  
That made no sense. Mr. Dark seemed to sense his confusion, because he sighed and chuckled at himself, “That didn’t make much sense, did it?”

He shook his head, “N-No, sorry,”

“Don’t be. I apologize for such a confusing explanation, I’m just- I’m very excited. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this opportunity,”

He  _ must  _ have been excited. No way he would be stumbling over his words so much if he wasn’t. Blank wanted to be excited too, but he had no idea what was going on, “Oppor- Opportunity?” He eventually settled on echoing, “Wh-What do you mean by that?

“Let me start from the beginning. This is going to be a rather long winded explanation, so feel free to interrupt me if you get lost,”  
“Y-Yes, sir! Mr. Dark,”  
“Alright. Do you know how alternate universes work?” 

Blank nodded slowly, “Y-Yeah, a little bit,”  
“Good. That saves me some time. The concept of there being infinite universes is correct, but not in the way we think. While there _are_ an infinite amount of universes, there aren’t infinite copies of the same people. The power you and I have, or our success in other universes, is due to the fact that we’re more unique than most people. Some people have millions of copies, some only have ten or twenty. The less you have, the more success or power you would have. Does that make sense?”

“I think so?”

Mr. Dark sighed, “Think of it this way. Let’s say universal power is a pie. The less people who have to share that pie, the more pie they each get. If someone could manage to be the  _ only  _ version of themself in the multiverse, they’d get the whole pie. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Blank thought he did, but he didn’t exactly know where he was going with this, “I- I think I get it, b-but… Wh-What does this have t-to do with me?”

The creepy smile he was wearing earlier returned, “This has everything to do with you, Blank. You see, the only way to eliminate the other mes in the universe without killing myself is to do something so against ‘my’ nature that I sever the links between our souls. To do that, I need to kidnap and kill someone close to him. For that to work, I’d need someone important to Mark to exist in every universe where he does. That is you, my friend. You are, well, a Mark-iversal constant,”

Blank almost laughed at the terrible pun, but the idea of ‘killing’ alternate versions of himself didn’t sit right, “S-So you’re saying we have to k-k- _ kill  _ them? I- I don’t how I f-feel about that, Mr. Dark,”

His expression darkened, “Listen, Blank. I’m going to be completely honest when I say that I need your help. You’re the only one who can kidnap these versions of yourself. You- You have no idea what I’ve been through to get to this point,”

That was true. Blank truly had no idea who Mr. Dark was or what he wanted. That was a big problem if he wanted to stay here, “So- So tell me! Wh-What  _ have  _ you been through? Wh-Why d-d-do you want this power?”

Mr. Dark seemed displeased by the question, but Blank wasn’t going to budge. He felt bad about making him uncomfortable, sure, but he needed that question answered. After a long stare down, he sighed, “So you really want to know, huh?”

“Y-Yes. I-I’m sorry, but I can’t- I can’t work with someone who lies to me,” He said.

“I didn’t used to be like this,”

Blank blinked at his sudden announcement, “H-Huh?”

“I mean, I used to be… Human. As you used to be. I wasn’t always this amalgamation of souls,” He confessed.

“ _ What _ ? Wh-What the hell d-does that mean?”

“Let me finish. I used to be a person called Damien. He was the mayor of a city that he loved dearly. But there was nothing in the world he loved more than his twin sister Celine. She was slightly older than him, a fact she never let him forget, and their short tempers often clashed, but- She was the only real family he knew. She married their best friend, Mark, and all was well with the world. Well, at least until it wasn’t. Celine- Mark never really deserved her. He was selfish and arrogant, someone who only looked out for himself in life. She left him for their other best friend, William, but even that didn’t last. He didn’t see her for months after that. Despite his offers, she never agreed to move back to England. The only one he had at that point was his lovely District Attorney, Amy, who was there for him when no one else was. One day, Mark, the friend he hadn’t seen since his and Celine’s divorce, invited him to a dinner party. He- He missed his old friend. And he wanted to introduce him to his DA. So- So he made the biggest mistake of his life and went. Everything started out well enough. He was overjoyed to see all of his friends again and they partied the night away, but the good time didn’t last. Mark was found dead the next morning, and everyone in the house was a suspect. As it turned out, Mark killed himself and took Damien’s body. Damien and his sister were forced into the void that exists between life and death. They would’ve been stuck there too, if it hadn’t been for Celine’s quick thinking. Of course, that also had a price. In exchange for both of them to go free, they had to take Amy, the love of Damien’s life’s body. Now I’m just me. I’m Darkiplier,” 

Blank stared at him with his mouth agape, “ _ Wh-What _ ?”

He nodded solemnly, “I know. It’s a lot to take in,” 

“Mr. Dark, I- I’m so sorry,” He couldn’t believe that he had been so rude to his friend. That backstory was awful, much worse than his. He was just a dumb kid who killed himself and only one person cared. Mr. Dark had to sacrifice everything to get to where he was.

“Now you know what I’ve been through. Do you want to know what I’m fighting for?”

Blank didn’t want to make him uncomfortable again, “M-Mr. Dark- You don’t have t-to tell me if you don’t-”

“It’s quite alright. You deserve an explanation. As you know, I’m a very powerful being already, as there are very few Marks in the multiverse. But to achieve my goal I would need the power of a God. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Blank was completely lost, and Dark knew that full well. Still, he humored him with a shake of the head, “N-No, sorry,”

“With that kind of power, I can give my sister her own form. I won’t be bound by the expectations of my other selves. Hell, I could even give you a real human form,”

His eyes widened, “M-Me?”

“Yes, Blank. I hope you understand now. With that power, I-  _ We  _ can have a family again,”

“A- A _ family _ ?” He echoed, “Me? You? T-Together? I- Mr. Dark, I-”

Tears filled his eyes, “I-I’ll help you. You’ll- We’ll g-get what we want,”

Dark hid a smirk at the look on the boy’s face. He had him hook, line, and sinker with the family comment. While it was partially true, he would use the power to bring Celine back, Blank wasn’t going to be part of the picture. He had no use for a child after the Ethans were kidnapped. He would die, just like his counterparts. Blank wouldn’t get in his way, and he wouldn’t distract him. 

He would do what must be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this chapter isn't any good! It's mainly exposition, but we finally have Dark showing his true manipulative colors. I'll try to update more often from now on. Thank you all for sticking with me! <3


	5. Chapter 5

“S-So…” 

Blank was still reeling over what Mr. Dark had said to him earlier. Did he really mean what he said about family? He hadn’t known him for very long yet, but for some reason, he wanted to trust him. He was so alone in the world that he would’ve taken any deal that offered him security. Even if it meant he had to do something… Not exactly nice to achieve it.

He still didn’t like the idea of killing himself(s), but he knew he had to trust his new friend. He had been working on this plan for longer than Blank had been alive, so he probably knew what he was doing. 

Besides, he already killed one version of himself. What were a few more, really?

He shivered at the thought and probably would’ve started to spiral if Mr. Dark hadn’t cleared his throat in interruption, “Yes?”

“Wh-What do we have to do to um- uh- Get r-rid of the other versions of us?”

He almost laughed at his inability to say the word ‘kill’. God, this kid was innocent. It was almost a shame that said innocence would end up broken by the end of this, “Before we do anything akin to that matter, we have to deal with your newfound abilities,” 

Blank was confused, “H-Huh? What are you t-talking about?”

“I mean when you nearly destroyed my cabin during your nightmare. That power of yours could be quite extraordinary if you can get a handle on it,”

He looked around and realized in horror that his new room was in shambles, “O-Oh my God! Mr. Dark, I- I’m s-so sorry!”

“Don’t be. I can fix this in mere moments,” He said, waving his hand and watching the room slowly put itself back together.

“Whoa! Can- Can I do that?” 

He laughed, “Blank, when I’m done training you, you should be able to do something more exciting than house maintenance,”

“Really?!”  
“Of course. With me training you and the help of your natural talents, you could end up being quite the formidable foe. It won’t be easy, though. Are you prepared to work hard?”

He nodded enthusiastically, “Of course, Mr. Dark! I won’t let you down!”

Dark couldn’t hold back a smile at his eagerness, “Excellent. We should begin immediately before the energy completely fades,”  
He blinked, “Wh-What? Now?”  
“Well, what are you waiting for? Come along,”

Before Blank could protest, Mr. Dark practically dragged him out of his bed and outside of his room. He was excited to learn how to control his power, but also nervous. What if he couldn’t do it? What if he disappointed Mr. Dark?

What if he left him?

No. Blank couldn’t let himself think like that. Mr. Dark would never leave him. They were friends, family. He just had to trust him.

Soon, Mr. Dark led him into an empty room. They were still staying far away from the fabled basement, but he was honestly grateful for that. Something told him that whatever was in there, he didn’t want to know just yet.

He looked around the empty room and back at his friend, “W-Was this always here?”

“I cleared out the living room of furniture so we can get started. It’s not a new room,” He explained.  
“Oh, that- Yeah, I- I guess that makes more sense than you manipulating time and space,” Blank laughed, “I- I don’t know- Nevermind. What are we doing?”  
“Right now? Standing in an empty room whilst you stutter about random nonsense,” Dark said cool.

He flushed, “S- Sorry, Mr. Dark,”

“Let’s just get to it. The first thing you should learn about your power is how to concentrate it into controlled blasts. Of course, that is assuming you can call upon it at command. Are you capable of that?”

Blank frowned. He had no idea he even  had  powers until Mr. Dark pointed them out. There was no telling whether he could summon it again. 

“Uh, I- I’m not sure, sir,”

He sighed. Dark wasn’t surprised that he couldn’t control his power, but it was an annoying setback nonetheless. What would’ve normally taken a week at the most would take much longer, if it worked at all. He’d seen what happened when magic consumed its owner, and it wasn’t pretty. If Blank was incapable of controlling his power, he would be useless.

Dark didn’t  like  people who were useless.

“I shouldn’t have expected anything different. Very well, let’s start from the beginning. Magic is a very delicate practice. Attempting to control such an intimate part of yourself can prove to be extremely difficult, especially for someone as young and powerful as you. Magic can come from a lot of different places, but yours seems to stem from your deep emotional pain. Unchecked, this magic could tear you apart,”

Blank whimpered, “I- I would not like to be torn apart, please,”

He chuckled slightly, “Don’t worry. I’m one of the most experienced people with magic you’ll ever meet. I’ll do my best to teach you how to control your power. The first thing you need to do is clear your mind,”

He nodded, “O- Okay?” 

His tone was uncertain, but he tried to do as Mr. Dark instructed. He closed his eyes tight and tried not to think about anything, which just led to him thinking about trying not to think about anything.

He opened his eyes meekly, “Help?”

Dark snorted, “I said clear your mind, not have an ulcer. Come on, Blank. You have to relax for it to work. Take deep breaths and try to concentrate,”

Blank closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was still really tense from the idea of being ripped to shreds, but the deep breaths and Mr. Dark’s somehow calming presence was starting to take effect. 

Dark seemed to know when his new protege was in the right headspace to continue, “Very good. Now concentrate on your emotions. What are you feeling right now?”

“Uh… Kinda ridiculous?” 

He sighed, “Nevermind. Your power stems from emotional suffering, and was awakened during your nightmare, correct? Why don’t you try to call back how you felt during your nightmare? Emotional distress might be enough to kickstart your magic,”

He took a deep breath and started to concentrate on how scared he was during his nightmare. The memory was a little fuzzy, but the anguish and humiliation he felt when he was being beat up by the bullies stung sharply. Jumping off of a bridge was also an unpleasant experience. Soon, the negative emotions began to affect him. His previously measured breaths were growing shorter and tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. 

“Don’t repress your emotions, Blank. Your power won’t show unless you’re completely honest with your feelings,”  
A growl of frustration escaped from his lips. The idea of disappointing Mr. Dark after everything he’s done for him was worse than any other fate. Humiliation, guilt, and self-loathing bubbled up in his mind at the thought. How dare he fail his only friend? How dare he-

“Blank!”  
Mr. Dark’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. His eyes snapped open only to find that a small ball of dark blue energy was crackling between his fingers.

“O-Oh! I- I’m doing it! Mr. Dark, I’m doing it!” His delight threw off the balance of power a bit, but he managed to maintain it much to Dark’s surprise. What do you know? The kid was tougher than he thought.

“Very good. Now change it from static energy into a charge,”

He blinked, “What?”  
“Don’t worry, it’s not very difficult if you go about it the right way. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to explain how to successfully shape your magic. The best advice I can offer is to focus on what would best motivate you to attack someone. Whether it is self defense or the desire to destroy, it should help,”

Blank nodded and steeled himself. He had no idea what would motivate him to attack someone. He’d been kicked around a lot before he ended up here, but that never seemed to make him violent or vengeful. If anything, he blamed himself for having such a punchable face.

No. He would never raise arms to protect himself. But if Mr. Dark was in danger…

He couldn’t help but imagine a scene where the mysterious Anti was hurting his friend. He could almost imagine the cruel laugh, and the blood dripping down his face, and how he couldn’t just helplessly stand there while his only friend was hurt.

His eyes snapped open of their own accord, glowing a regal blue. The anger in his expression was borderline terrifying, and Dark had to wonder what had gotten him into such a state. 

The energy in Blank’s hands was a crackling charge. Dark couldn’t stop himself from grinning, the kid was a  natural!  He was so caught up in the fact that he was shaping his power like a pro, that he forgot that he was a child. Children had limits that he nearly forgot anyone could have.

His eyes widened, “Blank, that’s enough! Stop channeling your magic!”

He wasn’t listening. All he could think about was his urge to protect. He would make sure that his friends were safe. He would defend Mr. Dark until his final-

“Shit!” Dark quickly stuck out his hand, channeling a blast of neutralizing power towards the child. It hit him square in the chest, immediately switching off his magic. 

Blank blinked with uncertainty as if woken up from a trance, “Wh- What the- M-Mr. Dark?”

He was furious, “You imbecile! Do you have any idea what almost happened? Your first time channeling magic and you- You could have been killed! What use are you to me if you’re dead, child?”

He realized what happened and gasped, “O- Oh my God. Mr. Dark, I- I- I’m so sorry! I didn’t- I shouldn’t have- I’m sorry,”  
“Never disobey me like that again. This is your only warning. If your power doesn’t grant you a painful death, I will,”

He nodded meekly, “Y- Yes, sir,”

Dark’s anger dissipated slightly, “Alright. I take it you understand what is at stake here?”

“O- Of course, Mr. Dark!”

“Good. Let’s try that again. This time,  stop  when I tell you to,”

“I- I will!”

The two trained for hours after that; Blank slowly learned how to control his newfound power. He learned to create blasts of dark energy and release them. Though he couldn’t get close to fazing Mr. Dark, his magic was developing quickly.

It was almost a shame that the child wouldn’t live long enough to see his full potential.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for the wait on this chapter! I know it's not all that good, but it's finally here. Algebra and writer's block have been kicking my ass as of late. I'll try to have the next chapter out faster. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting my work!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darkiplier vs A Certain Glitch Bitch; That's all I'm gonna say

Weeks past since that first night of training. Blank mastered the power charge fairly quickly, but he was still having a hard time with aiming it. Half of the time it would hit the target, and the other half would consist of Mr. Dark getting an impromptu haircut.

One night in particular, he was in a bad mood. He seemed to develop a tic in his right eye as Blank screwed up yet another blast of energy, nearly hitting his poor teacher straight in the chest. He stammered out apologies, but he didn’t seem to want to hear them.

“Enough. We’re trying something new today. If you can’t master this technique, I’ll have no choice but to dispose of you,”

Fear bubbled up in his chest at those words. Mr. Dark’s impressive patience was running thin, and he couldn’t blame him. Who wouldn’t be frustrated with a useless idiot like him?

“I- I’m sorry, sir. I’m useless, I- I know,”

He laughed a little, “You’re hardly useless yet, boy. These training lessons have been… Rather vexing, but your magic is fundamentally strong. If you can manage to get the hang of the basics, you could become a quite formidable being someday,”

His eyes widened, “D- Do you really mean that?”

“Blank, do I seem like the type to lie to make someone feel better?”

“No. I g- guess not. I’m sorry, I didn’t- I-”

“Stop. We’re going to have to work on that rambling habit of yours,”

He flushed, “S- Sorry,”

“And the excessive apologizing will also have to go,”

Blank wasn’t sure how to respond to that, as he expected an apology wouldn’t be welcomed.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started,”  
He would have to thank Mr. Dark later for his immaculate ability to get him back on track when he was spiraling. Though his direct and sharp nature would be perceived as rude or even harsh by some, he found it comforting. 

“Though you’ve mastered the basic concept of charges, the ability to aim still eludes you, am I correct?”

Blank flushed, remembering the several accidents that would’ve ended with a hole in Mr. Dark’s face had he not had his aura to protect him, “Y- Yeah,” 

“Accuracy is an important skill to learn eventually, but there is a way you can compensate for your lack of prowess in that area. If you can manage to use several short charges in a row instead of one charge, you won’t need to worry about hitting your target dead on,”

He frowned, “S- So you’re saying that if I can d- do rapid fire attacks, I w- won’t need to worry about aiming?”

“Exactly. You will need to learn how to be more precise, but burst attacks can help bridge the gap until then,” 

Blank was excited by that prospect. Accuracy was one of his main struggles, so knowing there was an alternate way to conduct his magic was a huge relief, “H- How do you do it?”

Dark smiled slightly at his protege’s enthusiasm, “The first thing you need to do is channel your magic into a static charge. That at least you can handle, right?”

He nodded and quickly began charging up his magic. It only took a minute for the charge to be alive and crackling in his hands. He grinned with satisfaction; at the very least he was proficient in  _ one  _ skill.

“N- Now what, Mr. Dark?”

He seemed slightly surprised that Blank summoned his magic so quickly, “Right. I trust you remember how the single attacks required you to shoot all of your charged up energy at once? Well, burst attacks require a bit more precision. You have to let out a small, controlled bit of energy every few seconds. It’s difficult to explain, do you understand?”

Blank nodded. The theory behind burst attacks made sense, but the jury was still out over whether or not he could manage to pull them off, “I- I think I get it,”

“Good. Now try it,”  
He blanched. This was what he was afraid of. If he couldn’t pull off this method of attack, he’d be disposed of. Mr. Dark would get rid of him. He would be _alone_ , _and friendless, and worthless,_ **and it would be all his-**

“Blank,”

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his spiraling thoughts. It was Mr. Dark, an uncharacteristically soft look on his face, “Panicking will only make your power erratic and harder to control. You have to keep a cool head,”

Calm, that’s what Blank had to be. He managed a smile at his mentor, “Th- Thank you,”

Forcing his thoughts to slow down, he focused on the charge of power.  _ Come on, come on, come on!  _ He was really growing desperate at this point. He just wanted something,  _ anything  _ to go right. With a prayer to whatever deity would still accept someone like him, he attempted a charge attack. 

It was… something.

Instead of his magic coming out in neat bursts, the ball of energy in his hands unimpressively deflated. 

He must’ve looked crestfallen, because Dark put a hand on his shoulder once again, “It’s alright. No one masters any technique first try,” His words were kind, but he looked like his patience was being vastly strained. 

Blank tried the technique several times with little success. Each failure he could  _ feel  _ Dark getting more upset with him. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore, “I- I can’t do this! I’m sorry, Mr. Dark. I’m a f- failure,”

He shut off his magic and plopped to the floor, tears of humiliation filling his eyes.

Dark glared at him, “So that’s it? You’re giving up?”

“Y- Yes, I am! I can’t do it, s- so what’s the point of trying?! God, why do I have to ruin everything I- I touch? I’m so-  _ I’m so-  _ **I’m so worthless!”**

The room went silent with his outburst. Darkiplier was boring a hole into his protege, “Is that what you really think?” He asked, his voice dangerously quiet, “You’re worthless? Do you think I would keep someone around who was of no use to me?”

Blank didn’t back down, “If that was the only reason you were keeping me around…  **Then you might as well get rid of me** ,”

Dark was taken aback by his boldness. Usually his anger would cause him to back down or stammer out an apology. His stutter even disappeared, giving way to something darker than he’d ever seen from the boy. 

Now, he better understood what Celine meant by Blank having a strange aura. 

He decided that for the sake of Blank and himself, he needed to clear his head. With one last long, hard look at his protege, he turned on his heel and left the cabin.

Blank didn’t even bother to call after him.

Dark hadn’t been truly alone with his thoughts for weeks, and he didn’t realize how much he missed it until now. Walking among the snow and trees, he was truly able to reflect on his situation. Oh boy, was it a doozy.

Blank was dangerous, but so was he. His confidence in his lack of purpose was as annoying as it was ironic. The idiot boy didn’t realize that he had the potential to be more powerful than himself someday, and what was worse, his self doubt was keeping him from realizing said potential. He had to awaken his power properly if Dark was to ever hope of carrying out his plan of becoming the sole Mark in the multiverse.

The demon nearly screamed with frustration, “This is why they say, never work with children. I don’t know why Damien ever liked them. They’re obstinate, stupid, and they have no fear for-”

“ _ Well, well, well! If it isn't the emo edgelord. How do you do, your highness?” _

Dark nearly jumped out of his skin. His rant had been interrupted by an old enemy of his. One who he had hoped to never see again. One who, as Dark just noticed, he just wandered into his territory. 

“Anti,” He growled.

The glitching abomination strolled from the trees like he owned the place, which to be fair, he did. Dark was trespassing in his territory; such an insult would not be overlooked by such a vindictive man.

_ “Gotta admit, didn’t expect you to be the one to break our deal, Darkie. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”  _ He sported a cheshire grin as he delivered those words. 

Anti was the only person in the multiverse who could get away with calling Darkiplier ‘Darkie’, and that was only because he was too powerful to squash. As much as he would like to slaughter the annoying glitch, he was much too powerful. The whole reason they made their treaty was because their fights were going to end in disaster if they continued. Now, though, Dark accidentally broke their pact. An apology was necessary to avoid disaster. 

He gritted his teeth, “I apologize for my intrusion. I didn't notice I was on your territory. It won’t happen again,”

Anti laughed,  _ “Oh, you ain’t getting away from me that easy. See, I’ve been itchin’ for a fight for awhile. And, well, ya did just trespass on my territory.  _ **_I can’t just let that fuckin’ slide_ ** _ ,” _

He should’ve seen this coming. Of course, Anti wouldn’t just let him go on his merry way after he broke the treaty that  _ he  _ argued for. 

“I’ll warn you one last time, Antisepticeye. Let me go, or I will make you regret not doing so,” He warned, taking a threatening step forward. 

_ “Hahaha! That’s what I like to hear, old friend. Now…” _

A predatory grin split across his face,  _ “ _ **_Let’s dance,_ ** _ ” _

A burst of dark green magic startled Dark. He forgot how fast his foe was when it came to combat. Stil, Dark had learned a few new tricks of his own.

He summoned forth his aura in a nearly impenetrable barrier, bouncing Anti’s next attacks back at him, “Ack!”

The demon was caught by surprise by his new utilization of his power, the burst of reflected magic slamming him into a tree.

He came up grinning,  _ “Whoa, ho, ho! Someone’s been practicing!” _

Dark couldn't help but laugh, “And you’ve gotten lazy. Didn’t you come up with any new tricks, or will this fight be easier than I thought?”

_ “Don’t get cocky, asshole. You’re not the only one who’s got new tricks up his sleeve,” _

The fight was almost nostalgic. Black, red, and blue clashed against green; lighting up the forest and probably giving away their location to anyone within ten miles of the area. Their old fights had been more epic in nature, but they’d gotten older since them. Perhaps, their solitude had mellowed them out.

Dark winced as a crackling charge of green energy managed to penetrate his shield. Okay, so Anti hadn’t mellowed with age. In fact, he acted as if he wasn’t out of practice.

“Have you found another poor resident of this dimension to terrorize?” Dark demanded, feeling slightly betrayed at the idea of Anti finding another demon to feud with.

He was shocked,  _ “Darkie, how dare you! I would never cheat on you with some boring demon. You’re the asshole who went and got a fucking replacement for me!” _

Wait, did he mean Blank? Surely not. Even someone at Anti’s more than dull intelligence level could see that he was nowhere near his power caliber. 

_ “I mean, no accounting for taste. Seriously, that kid is  _ **_such_ ** _ a crybaby. It’s fucking pathetic! He can’t even manage a goddamn single charge! Single charge! I’ve been doing those since I was in diapers!”  _ He declared, his magic getting more alive with each angry word.

A shadow loomed over Dark’s face, “Repeat that.  **I dare you** ,”

Anti stopped dead,  _ “Wait, don’t tell me-” _

His face said it all. Dark wouldn't be so mad about someone that meant nothing to him. He may pretend not to care, but Anti could see through his little tsundere act. 

He burst out laughing,  _ “I can’t believe this! The lord of darkness, harbinger of destruction, yadda yadda, has a fucking pet! What, are you teaching it how to play fetch?!” _

Darkiplier was shaking with rage. How  **dare** he insult his pawn?! His protoge! His- Wait. Why couldn’t he move?

He looked down, and to his horror, he was tightly bound by dark green strings. He tried to resist against their hold, but one fruitless tug told him that they were stronger than any metal. 

_ “Well, that was disappointing. I figured my old nemesis would put up more than a fight than that! You’ve gone soft, old pal,”  _

Dark struggled against his bonds, “Let me go, you glitching abomination of nature!”  
He giggled and tightened the strings, causing him to make an involuntary yelp of pain, _“Ouchie. If you weren’t completely at my mercy, that might’ve stung a bit. Seriously, though. One insult to that pathetic leech and ya lose your cool. You’ve gone soft, Darkiepoo,”_

He slowly tightened his bonds, watching as Dark’s extremities swelled up,  _ “Though, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” _

Dark managed a glare through the pain of the strings slowly pulling him apart, “You… You little… Anti!”

Anti’s eyes darkened to their demonic state,  **_“You’ve always been weak,”_ **

Well, this was it. After everything he’d been through, he’d die from dismemberment by the hands of his old nemesis,  _ I’m so sorry, Celi- _

“No… He’s… NOT!”

Dark’s eyes widened in surprise as a charge of royal blue energy hit Anti in the back of the head. He cried out in surprise and momentarily released his bonds, sending the injured man crashing down to the forest floor. He was in a great deal of pain, but he managed to lift his head up to watch the fight.

Once he did, he almost wished he hadn’t. 

Blank looked scarier than Dark had ever seen him. His aura was glowing a dangerous blue. His bloodlust was overwhelming the mild mannered boy he’d come to know, and he knew for the first time.

Blank was deadly.

Anti didn’t seem to realize this,  _ “You little shit! That hurt, you asshole!” _

“Get. Away. From. My. Friend,” He growled, his stutter long gone by now.

He still didn’t understand the danger, so caught up in his ego that he didn’t notice the bloodlust that was overwhelming him,  _ “What are ya gonna do? Annoy me to- Oh shit,” _

Blank hit him with a solid rapid fire attack, knocking over a couple of trees, and trapping his opponent between a rock and a hard place. Anti had two choices, run away, or die by the hands of a sixteen-year-old.

We all know which one picked,  _ “You little- You’ll regret this!”  _ He managed to splutter before teleporting to safety.

Blank was pissed, “GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD! I’LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I’LL-”

“Blank-” Dark’s hacking cough brought Blank back to reality. His overwhelming malice receded, giving way to the timid boy he knew.

He rushed to his mentor’s side, “O- Oh my God! Mr. Dark! A- Are you okay? Are you-”

“Told you to- Told you to stay at the cabin,” He wheezed, trying and failing to be menacing.

He blanched, “I- I- I’m sorry, Mr. Dark! I just- I saw all those lights and- Well, I got worried! H- He had you all tied up and- I didn’t mean to disobey you, sir,”

He shook his head and struggled to his feet, trying to retain some of his dignity, “It’s alright. I’ll forgive it, just this once. Don’t think that I’ll overlook your disobedience twice,”

He nodded, “Y- Yes, sir! S- Sorry, sir!”

“What did I say about apologizing?”

“I- I know. I forgot,”

Dark surveyed the damage that his young pawn caused. A dark chuckled made its way out of his throat. He would be more useful than he first anticipated.

“Do you have any idea what you just did, Blank?”

He lit up like a Christmas Tree, “I- I did a burst attack, I know! I- It just came to me all of a sudden,”  
He stared at him. Did he truly not realize what he’d just done? The level of danger he posed to the world? Hm. Maybe it was better that way. He couldn’t have his pawn getting cocky.

Dark only smirked, “I think it’s about time we moved on to phase two of my plan,”

He blinked, “H- Huh? Phase two? Wh- What about phase one?”

“You’ve already mastered the burst attack. That was phase one. Phase two requires more… Hands on work,”

His eyes widened, “Kidnapping the other mes,”

“That’s right, Blank. I think it’s high time you see something crucial to our mission,”

“Wh- What’s that?”

“The  **basement** ,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus concludes the final chapter of the first book in this series! The next book will be up as soon as possible. With Spring Break and everything happening right now, I should have more time to write. Also, this is the first time I've ever written Anti, so I was wondering if I did well. Please leave any constructive criticism on his mannerisms in the comments, I'd love to hear it. Love you guys!  
> \- Saiph


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